BOB’S WATCHES

ROLEX BLOG

How Rotating Bezels Actually Work

Sure, rotating bezels look great. With a variety of colors and beautiful complications painted and ingrained into their surfaces, they add awesome aesthetic appeal. However, chances are that half the people who own a high-end watch with a rotating bezel don’t actually know all that much about them.

Rotating bezels are designed to help measure everything from dive times to regatta races – granted, the later is not a feature you’re bound to use daily. Nonetheless, we think you should understand how rotating bezels work and how to properly use them. So, let’s get started!

The rotating bezel on the Rolex GMT-Master is marked with a 24-hour scale, which allows it to be used to reference a second time zone.

Subscribe for the latest Rolex news.

The Basics

In the vast majority of instances, the bezel is entirely separate from your watch’s movement. A bezel is the outer ring of metal – sometimes ceramic – that surrounds the face of your watch and its crystal. Since it is located outside of the watch, it allows the primary functionality of the timepiece to stay the same while still allowing the wearer to reference something other than just the hours, minutes, and seconds of the day. Like we mentioned above, rotating bezels are used for everything from timing deep dives to displaying secondary time zones, to even configuring countdown timers for boat races.

BidirectionalAs the name suggests, bidirectional rotating bezels can be turned both clockwise and counterclockwise. This allows the wearer to quickly calculate how much time has elapsed or how much time is remaining. Additionally, some bidirectional bezels are marked with hours rather than a minute scale, which allows them to be used to display an additional time zone, rather than as a rudimentary timer.

UnidirectionalUnidirectional rotating bezels can only be moved in one direction – usually counterclockwise. However, this is strictly a safety feature, rather than a lack of versatility. The unidirectional movement guarantees that if the bezel gets accidentally moved or knocked out of place, it will only display that more time has elapsed, rather than less – which is especially useful while scuba diving.

Ring CommandRing Command bezels are something that is exclusive to Rolex watches, although a similar concept can be found on timepieces from other manufacturers. Although they are still located on the outside of the case, Ring Command bezels are actually connected to the internal movements of their respective watches, and allow for additional adjustment and setting positions without the need for additional buttons, pushers, or crown positions.

The Ring Command bezel on the Rolex Yacht-Master II is linked to its internal movement, which allows it to be used to set the watch’s adjustable countdown timer.

The Inner workings

Underneath the handsome ceramic or metal bezel, there are usually a number of different parts that connect it to a watch and provide it with is motion and functionality. Depending on the type of bezel and the features that it offers, these parts can range from small leaf springs to specialized washers, and can significantly differ from one watch to the next – even if the bezels on the two watches offer identical functionality.

Traditionally, it has often been small springs that provide rotating bezels with their ratcheting action and unidirectional motion; however on the most recent incarnation of the Rolex Submariner – the version with a ceramic bezel insert, this system has been replaced by 4 spring-loaded rollers, one of which is angled on top to prevent clockwise motion.

Older Rolex Submariner watches were fitted with bidirectional bezels; however the latest models all have unidirectional bezels as an added safety measure.

Measuring time with Rotating Bezels

Measuring time with a rotating bezel is actually a lot easier than you might suspect – it just requires a little bit of knowledge about how they are intended to work. With a unidirectional bezel, you simply spin the bezel counterclockwise so that you can count elapsed time – like how much time you have spent submerged while diving. The added assurance that the bezel can only move one way means that even if you do manage to knock it out of place, it will only ever appear as though you spent more time underwater, not less (which could potentially be a fatal mistake).

On the other hand, a bidirectional rotating bezel moves both ways, allowing you to either track the amount of elapsed time or count down from a set time (up to 60 minutes). Simply rotate the bezel clockwise or counter clockwise, aligning either the 0-minute marker or the desired minute value indicator (if using it as a countdown timer) with the minute hand of your watch, when you are ready to start measuring the time – simple as that!

Lastly, there are those tricky Ring Command bezels. These require a bit more effort to properly figure out since each will function differently depending on the additional features offered by their respective watches. On the Rolex Yacht-Master II, the Ring Command bezel is used for setting the watch’s adjustable regatta timer for use either before or during a boat race. However, the Ring Command bezel on the Sky-Dweller is not used for measuring time at all, but rather it is used in conjunction with the winding crown to permit facilitated adjustment of the annual calendar complication on the Caliber 9001 movement.

At the present time, the Yacht-Master II and Sky-Dweller are the only Rolex watches that are fitted with Rind Command bezels.

WATCHES YOU MIGHT LIKE

About Paul Altieri

Paul is the company's Founder and CEO. He is responsible for all the day to day activities from purchasing, receiving, marketing and sales. Paul is a graduate of Boston College 1979 and resides in California with his family.

Copyright Bob's Watches. All rights reserved. Bob's Watches is not affiliated with Rolex S.A., Rolex USA, or any of its subsidiaries.

Bob's Watches is an independent watch dealer and is not sponsored by, associated with and/or affiliated with Rolex, S.A. Bob's Watches only sells pre-owned Rolex watches and provides its own warranties on the watches it sells. Rolex, www.rolex.com, is under no obligation to warranty-service watches sold by Bob's Watches. Rolex Datejust, Rolex Day Date President, Submariner, Presidential, Explorer, Sea Dweller, Super President, GMT Master, GMT, YachtMaster, Prince, Milgauss, MasterPiece, Air King, Cosmograph Daytona, and PearlMaster are all registered trademarks of the Rolex Corporation ( Rolex USA, Rolex S.A.) To buy a new Rolex watch, please visit rolex.com for a list of authorized Rolex dealers near you.* Sales tax on Internet transactions is only collected on orders shipped to addresses in California or as otherwise required by law.